Routes of Marble

ROUTE OF MARBLE

Following the route of marble, the first stop is at the Museum of Marble Arts. There you can realise how the Tinian craftsman takes from the quarry a slab of marble and working on it they create statues, fanlights, fountains, iconostasis, tower bells, stadiums and palaces.

Walking through the cemetery of Pyrgos, actually an open-air sculpture museum, you reach Pyrgos square to have some coffee, ouzo or raki with sweets or “meze” (snacks). Next stop is at the Giannoulis Halepas’ house, the greatest Greek sculptor, and at the Museum of Tinian artists which is adjacent to it.

The route goes on to the workshops of the village where you will meet one of the sculptors. While working on the marble, he will have a talk with you about the marble, the tools and the secrets of his art.

The price includes the escort-guide, entrance fees in the museums, light meal at Pyrgos square and transportations. Departure daily at 10.00 am, return at 5.00 pm.

MARBLE WORKSHOP AT PYRGOS

Discover the sculptor in you and live an unforgettable experience creating your own piece of marble art at the picturesque village of Pyrgos.

Experienced local craftsmen will open their workshops for you, introduce you to the art of marble carving, provide you with all the necessary equipment and help you bring your masterpiece to life.

And when you feel the need for a break, traditional delicacies and local raki will accompany your chat with the craftsmen who are willing to divulge not only the secrets of their carving techniques but the history and tradition of this unique village, as well.

The workshops are held daily, commencing at 10:00am with a duration of 5 hours.
Price includes an English speaking guide, transport, all the necessary equipment and a complimentary light meal.

TWO- WEEK MARBLE SEMINAR AT PYRGOS

Pyrgos, getting a huge quantity of marble as main material, turned out to be, from the era of the Ottomans, the center of the contemporain sculpture in Greece, reaching its peak at the end of the 19th century till the mid of the 20th. All the members of the families worked exclusively as marble craftsmen, travelled all over Greece and abroad (Balkans, Minor Asia, Alexandria) leaving behind their artistic seal. These men built and decorated all the great private and public buildings in Athens and in other cities of Greece. They still work at the archaeological sites restoring the ancient monuments. It is not by chance, therefore, the fact that the greatest sculptors and painters were born at Exomeria .Giannoulis Halepas, Demetrios Filippotis, NikifoMros Lytras, Lukas Doukas, Ioannis Voulgaris, the Sohos brothers, the Vitalis brothers and the contemporain Giannis Gaitis, Lazaros Lameras, Giorgis Barlamos and many others.

The capstone of this interaction is the inscription of the Tinian marble craftsmanship on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Therefore, an opportunity is given through the workshop to highlight some of the many aspects of this art, to listen to oral accounts of the craftsmen, to become familiar with the oral traditions associated with it, the functions and practices that accompany it, and its importance for the collective memory and identity of the Tinians themselves. Last but not least, you’ll have the opportunity to have a closer look at the works of Tinian artists, the fruit of incomparable mastery and aesthetics.

PLACE

Tinos, Pyrgos

TIME

Ask for the available dates.

DURATION

Fifteen (15) days, fourteen (14) nights

SUBJECTS

Getting familiar with the material. Process of selecting the size of the marble block.

Tools. Selection and use. Safety rules for the artist and protection of the material.

Subject: Creation, from a piece of marble (dimensions 40x50x12 cm,) of a marble vessel sink, with relief details, in a free or geometrical shape.

Creation, from a piece of marble (dimensions 40x50x12 cm,) of a marble vessel sink, with relief details, in a free or geometrical shape.

Michalis Saltamanikas was born in 1955 in Pyrgos, Tinos. He started his art life working on wood as an apprentice to the wood engraver Evaggelos Kagiorgis and later he continued with marble, under the instructions of his grandfather Lazaros Artemios Valakas, an old master sculptor. He graduated from the Fine Arts School of Pyrgos and he worked with the sculptors Hondrogiannis, Diamantopoulos and Filippotis. His atelier has been in Pyrgos Tinos since 1997. He is specialized in subjects of nature and sea, having a close relationship with the latter as the descendant of a family with long tradition in seamanship.

Lambros Diamantopoulos was born in Pyrgos Tinos in 1955. He graduated from the School of Fine Arts in 1971 and in 1978 he started his own atelier, creating fanlights, fountains, door frames and more. He is one among the few sculptors who can undertake restorations of old belfries as well as construction of new ones all over Greece. Some of the most important restorations he has recently undertaken are in Paros at the church of Our Lady Ekatontapyliani in 2003 and the double tower bell of the Holy Trinity church (year of construction 1870) in 2011-2012. He has participated in lots of exhibitions both in Greece and abroad.

INCLUDED

English speaking interpreter-escort.

The block of marble to be sculptured.

Handmade tools with your initials engraved on them

The trip to Delos.

SERVICES

Accommodation in Pyrgos and the adjacent area in selected studios (double rooms) with air conditioning, dining room and private veranda.
Full board, including breakfast with local home-made food, lunch and dinner in tavernas of the island, well-known for their exquisite dishes.

Ship tickets and bus tickets

Entrance fees in museums and archaeological sites

Cars, one per three or four people, fuel included.

Interpreter -escort (English – French from 9.00am till 21.00pm)

Handmade tools with your initials engraved on them

Your personal work of art accomplished in the workshop

Packaging and shipping fees from Tinos to your destination.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The course starts at 9.30am and finishes at 14.00pm. An interpreter (Greek to English or French) will be always present during the course that starts at 9.30.

After the course you can choose either to go for a swim, for a ride, or do whatever you feel like. You can also choose to go back to the atelier and continue your work, after prior arrangement with the master. In that case the escort – interpreter will follow the rest of the group (even if there is only one participant). Our aim is to offer each one of you a schedule tailored to your interests and desires. That’s why it is extremely important that you describe your job, your artistic hobbies and your expectations from that trip and even some of your personal habits in your daily routine you can’t do without. That would help us to adjust your accommodation and the content of the lectures to achieve the best possible result. Our aim is to help you gain a deep knowledge of a very special island and its people and live three unforgettable weeks. Looking forward to seeing you!